If you’re tired of wasting money on moisturizes, creams or other topical solutions that have little or no impact on the appearance of your skin, you should consider dermaplaning. It’s a safe and effective cosmetic procedure that can make your skin smoother, softer and more vibrant. So, how exactly can dermaplaning improve the appearance of your skin?
The Basics of Dermaplaning
Dermaplaning is a noninvasive cosmetic procedure that involves the use of a scalpel to remove dead skin cells, as well as vellus hair, from the skin and stimulate the production of collagen. During a dermaplaning session, a practitioner will glide a sterilized surgical scalpel across the surface of your skin. As the scalpel glides across your skin, it will catch dead skin cells.
Although the procedure requires the use of a scalpel, no incisions are made with dermaplaning. The scalpel simply acts as a shaving razor by removing superficial dead skin cells without harming the underlying healthy and living skin tissue. Because of this, dermaplaning is classified as a noninvasive cosmetic procedure, so you rest assured knowing that it won’t cause pain or carry a high risk of complications.
Dermaplaning Exfoliates the Skin
One of the ways in which dermaplaning can improve the appearance of your skin is by exfoliating it. Exfoliation, of course, is characterized by the removal of dead skin cells from the top of the skin. Research shows the average person sheds up to 40,000 dead skin cells per minute. While some of these skin cells may fall off, most will simply accumulate on the outermost skin layer, known as the epidermis. If left unchecked, the dead skin cells will clog your pores and subsequently contribute to acne breakouts and blemishes.
Don’t assume that you’re safe from acne just because you’re an adult. While most common in teenagers, anyone can develop acne at any age. Dermaplaning can protect against acne breakouts, however, by exfoliating your skin. It will remove hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of dead skin cells that would otherwise clog your pores. Dermaplaning isn’t a foolproof solution to prevent acne breakouts, but it will promote cleaner skin nonetheless by removing dead skin cells.
Dermaplaning Promotes a More Even Skin Complexion
You can achieve a more even skin complexion with the help of dermaplaning. Millions and men and women have an uneven skin complexion in which some areas of their skin are darker or lighter than others. Also known as hyperpigmentation, it’s an all-too-common skin problem. While having an uneven skin complexion typically doesn’t pose a risk to your health, it can affect your self-esteem. If some areas of your skin are darker or lighter than others, you may find yourself wearing additional layers of clothing in an attempt to conceal your skin.
There are several possible causes of uneven skin complexion, including acne as well as the uneven distribution of dead skin cells. Dermaplaning, of course, can treat both of these underlying causes. If you regularly suffer from acne, dermaplaning can cleanse your skin to prevent clogged pores. If you have unevenly distributed dead skin cells, the noninvasive cosmetic procedure can remove them. Regardless, dermaplaning promotes a more even skin complexion.
Dermaplaning Removes Vellus Hair
While its main function is to exfoliate the skin, dermaplaning is also highly effective at removing vellus hair. What is vellus hair exactly? Also known simply as peach fuzz, vellus hair is a type of short and thin hair that’s found on most parts of the human body. While size varies, most vellus hair is less than 0.01 inch long, making it significantly shorter than regular hair.
Whether it’s on your chin, cheeks, arms or elsewhere, you may want to remove vellus hair so that it doesn’t affect the appearance of your skin. While short and thin, vellus hair grows in large numbers. As a result, failure to remove it may impact the appearance of your skin. The vellus hair will essentially make your skin look darker, and in some cases, it can lead to an uneven complexion. The good news is that dermaplaning can eliminate vellus hair to promote smoother, better-looking skin. Waxing is another common way to deal with vellus hair. When compared to dermaplaning, though, waxing is a more painful procedure. If you’re looking to remove vellus hair without the pain and discomfort associated with waxing, there’s no better solution than dermaplaning.
Dermaplaning Stimulates Collagen Production
We can’t talk about the benefits of dermaplaning without mentioning its impact on collagen. Accounting for approximately 25% to 30% of the average person’s protein content, collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It’s an essential component of connective tissues like tendons, muscles, ligaments and, of course, skin. Collagen acts to improve the skin’s strength and elasticity while also protecting against wrinkles. But over time, the collagen content in your skin will decrease. Our bodies produce less collagen as we age, which may manifest in the form of weaker skin that’s more susceptible to wrinkles and fine lines.
Dermaplaning can stimulate your body’s production of collagen, as well as its elastin, to help you achieve youthful, healthy skin. As the dead skin cells are removed, your body will respond by producing more collagen. With dermaplaning, your body “thinks” it’s being injured. The removal of the dead skin cells essentially triggers a response in which your body attempts to repair itself by producing more collagen. As the collagen content in your skin increases, your skin will become stronger yet also more elastic. The end result is healthier-looking skin that’s better protected against wrinkles and injury.
Consumers in the United States spend over $100 million on collagen supplements each year, according to a report by WebMD. Being that collagen supplements are so popular, you might be wondering what advantages dermaplaning offers over supplements. Well, the problem with collagen supplements is that they don’t necessarily translate into higher collagen levels. Like with many other supplements, only a fraction of the collagen contained in a supplement is absorbed by the body. Dermaplaning works to stimulate your body’s natural production of collagen, making it more effective than oral supplements.
Dermaplaning Minimizes the Appearance of Scars
Dermaplaning can help to minimize the appearance of scars. Statistics show that in any given year, 100 million people will develop a scar. Scars form as a result of injury or trauma to the skin. When the skin is injured or otherwise experienced trauma, a biological repair process occurs. During this process, collagen is used to fill the area in which the injury or trauma occurred. While healthy skin also contains collagen, the collagen used in scars features a different pattern. Rather than the standard basket-weave pattern, scars consist of a cross-linking pattern.
Whether you have a scar on your face, leg, arm or back, dermaplaning can minimize its appearance. It will remove some of the dead skin cells encompassing the scar, thereby reducing its appearance. You can’t always prevent scars from occurring. With dermaplaning, however, you can make them less visible. As mentioned here, dermaplaning can improve the appearance of your skin by exfoliating, promoting a more even complexion, removing vellus hair, stimulating the production of collagen and concealing scars.
Want to learn more about dermaplaning? Request a free consultation with Radiance Medspa today!